Driving can also be in the jeans

Over 100 years ago, when motor vehicles were the sole preserve of those with deep pockets, clothing stores in big cities in the West often had mailing lists of car owners who they would entice with the latest ‘proper driving attire’. That included coats, gloves, goggles, scarves and hats that would not fly off the heads of speedsters, male or female.

Perhaps the official in Chennai who reportedly refused to allow a girl clad in jeans and a sleeveless blouse take a driving test this week on the plea that she was not properly dressed, simply harbours a secret wish for a return to a more gracious motoring etiquette. He did, after all, point out that men who came for the test in shorts or lungis, as well as a woman who wore capri trousers, were also told to change their gear.

Contemporary recommended driving gear includes none of those items deemed appropriate a century ago, and, indeed, singles out jeans as the ideal choice for comfort plus style. So, the Chennai lady is obviously more au courant about motoring fashion than the official.


Moreover, even in its new strict avatar, the Motor Vehicles Act 2019 has not proscribed any clothing, but an earlier proviso that forbade two-wheeler drivers from wearing slippers or flip-flops has been retained. So, it may be wiser to spend that potential Rs 1,000 fine on a pair of shoes instead.